US Cosmopolitan September 2025 : Margaret Qualley by Alana O’Herlihy

[likeahurricane]

Would be bettter without the glare

 

[tigerrouge]

I'm looking at the digital copy, it's showing 108 pages (actual print page count = 104), which is par for the course for US magazines these days, but doesn't bode well for content.

The only thing I'm looking for is a celebration of previous issues... and there's nothing bar a throwaway mention on the final page about landmark coverlines, with only one shot of the very first cover ever.

But there are multi-page ads for cat litter. There's also an article about "the best sex scenes ever" in cinema that doesn't acknowledge any film made before 2001.

 

[MModa]

I'm looking at the digital copy, it's showing 108 pages (actual print page count = 104), which is par for the course for US magazines these days, but doesn't bode well for content.

The only thing I'm looking for is a celebration of previous issues... and there's nothing bar a throwaway mention on the final page about landmark coverlines, with only one shot of the very first cover ever.

But there are multi-page ads for cat litter. There's also an article about "the best sex scenes ever" in cinema that doesn't acknowledge any film made before 2001.

The lack of a retrospective of past issues is bizarre for such a big anniversary issue. They should have eliminated one of the stories and featured it.

 

[tigerrouge]

You get the feeling that paying tribute to Helen Gurley Brown would seem like an embarrassment to them, as if she's become the equivalent of a fossil in a dusty museum.

But to not even feature covers from the 2000s, which would relate to some celebrities still around and relevant today...

 

[MModa]

You get the feeling that paying tribute to Helen Gurley Brown would seem like an embarrassment to them, as if she's become the equivalent of a fossil in a dusty museum.

But to not even feature covers from the 2000s, which would relate to some celebrities still around and relevant today...

Since late July, Cosmopolitan did post covers from the different decades on their instagram leading to the reveal of the 60th anniversary cover. However, a few celebratory pages inside of the actual magazine would have been a pleasant addition.

 

[crmsn]

I just finished browsing this issue in the hopes of seeing some throwback sections about the history of this magazine, but I got NOTHING aside from the ed's note and its very last page.



Instead, Cosmopolitan now shifts into a teenage magazine because it now mainly features celebrities instead of informative stories that they were known for. This is Seventeen disguised as Cosmo.

Manny Jacinto's spread. This guy's charm is undeniable.


This photo of Finn Wolfhard that magically made into print is diabolical. Whoever approved this deserves a salary decrease.


And also, can these brands stop relying on AI and actually hire real artists? This Skechers ad campaign on page 7 bothers me a lot.

Photos from Cosmpolitan's Digital Edition

 

[onlooker]

Happy that at least they have a reproductive health report and a lot more traditional Cosmo articles than what they've been giving lately. I also like the new layout. I agree that they're becoming Seventeen though.

I'm still confused why they're printing much fewer issues now when Cosmo was selling well compared to other women's magazines.

 

[MModa]

This is NOT the September 2025 issue. It is Fall 2025 (Displayed until 11/10/25) as it is written on top of the barcode. I cannot believe that they cut the frequency of the magazine so much. Yet the issue has only 106 pages and as mentioned NO retrospective.